NEWS ARCHIVE

DCF testifier: 'It’s time to wake up'

Committee takes testimony in Middlebury

The state’s Child Protection Committee held its sixth of nine hearings about the Department for Children and Families in Middlebury on Thursday night. While previous sessions have focused on DCF itself, this hearing centered on community services and reporting alleged abuse.

The state’s Child Protection Committee held its sixth of nine hearings about the Department for Children and Families in Middlebury on Thursday night. While previous sessions have focused on DCF itself, this hearing centered on community services and reporting alleged abuse.

The committee is not investigating the deaths of two Vermont children involved with DCF, but gathering input about the agency.

“It’s time to wake up, people. It's time to wake up and help these families,” said Louise Forgues.

Dozens packed the library’s community room to talk about what is going right and wrong with child services.

“Kids' lives are saved every day doing all the work that we do,” said Willow Wheelock.

The discussion focused on what Donna Bailey of the Addison County Parent Child Center called “a system of care,” the joint work of organizations, schools and governments.

“It's not just DCF family services,” she said. “That's often the last stop.”

Some speakers aired their grievances with how alleged abuse is reported to DCF and how state workers intervene.

“I saw this going on with my own eyes,” Forgues told the committee about reporting a hypothetical case of abuse. “And what do I hear, 'Do you have any evidence? Do you have any proof? Can you show us a picture?'”

The message Thursday: The committee should look beyond DCF and at the larger picture of child care.

“I think as long as kids are still going probate court for custody -- they're not property -- they're individual little beings who are growing in to be our future,” Bailey said.

A third round of hearings will kick off June 10 at 11 a.m. at the Morse Theater at the St. Johnsbury Academy then move on to the Morrisville Town Hall at 2:30 p.m. and wrap up on at 6 p.m. at the Statehouse in Montpelier.